


Sweet Disposition

by Apparentlynotreallyfinnish



Series: Prompted ficlets [6]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, First Kiss, Light Smut, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 07:53:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18988447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish/pseuds/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish
Summary: Part of a series of prompted ficlets. Prompt: compliment battle turns heated.





	Sweet Disposition

**Author's Note:**

> The fic is named after The Temper Trap's song Sweet Disposition. If you'd like, go and have a listen as you read this.

They were at the Mythical set facing each other. There was a small podium between them with their GMM mugs and their cue cards on top of it. Behind them was a large pink-hued banner the art department had painted with bright red cursive: “Compliment Battle”. They were shooting for the Valentine’s Day week and all of the episodes followed a theme of fluffy feelgood. Rhett was leaning against the podium, flipping through his cards. He was buzzing with nervous energy. He tried to convince himself that all of this was just for the show. It wasn’t real, not really. Except it kind of was, his brain rebelled. The writers had been adamant. They’d wanted real stuff because the fans wanted real stuff. That was the lifeblood of their show, the real moments of their chemistry and friendship. So, it had been decided that they would write the compliments themselves. That way, they would be sincere. 

Link looked so relaxed in front of Rhett. He was chatting with Stevie about the next episode. His card stack was untouched. No fidgeting, no nervous energy. Rhett wondered if the task had been easy for him. It should have been easy for Rhett. He loved everything about Link. Well, almost everything, he thought, imagining the horrid sounds his jaw made as he chewed on his cereal. But definitely enough to fill a whole book of compliments. The problem was that he didn’t exactly want to advertise that. His feelings for Link were, to say the least, complicated. It had started slow. When he thought back on it, he mused there might have been early twinges as far back as college. But the realization hadn’t sunk in until about a year ago. And after it had, life had been hard for Rhett.

“Okay, let’s get this show on the road!” Stevie hollered, clapping her hands together. Everyone took their places. Link leaned against the podium and looked at Rhett with a smirk.

“Are you ready to be decimated?” he asked with a wink. Rhett’s knees threatened to buckle under him and he thanked the Lord for the podium. He managed to plaster a somewhat nonchalant smile on his face and answered:

“Nope. Just letting you know now, Neal. You’re going down.”

There was a strange flash in Link’s eyes but his smile didn’t falter. “Oh, don’t make promises you can’t keep,” he said, voice dripping with danger. Rhett felt a heat rising to his neck. He willed the feeling away with a hard swallow. Cameras were rolling.

“Which one of us is going to be the king of compliments?”

“Let’s talk about that!”

Link was explaining the rules to the cameras. They were to say one compliment each while maintaining eye contact and then a panel of crew members would vote whose compliment was better. The one who got to 5 points first would win. The loser would have to write a love letter to the other one that would be published on social media. There was a catch, of course, voted by the Mythical Society. At every round, they had to touch one another. The touchpoints were decided ahead of time and they would find out about them at the start of each round. As Link spoke, Rhett kept fiddling with his cards. The nervous energy was making him curl into himself. He tried to keep his smile up for the cameras, but in his head, he was freaking out. It manifested physically too. He was hunching his shoulders, making himself smaller, desperately trying to escape a situation he couldn’t leave from.

The first touchpoint was revealed to be hands. Rhett let out a small relieved sigh. They’d held hands many times before on the show and it meant their bodies could be far apart. Link quickly took his hands on his own and quibbled something about them being sweaty like always. Rhett awkwardly laughed it off. Link’s eyes were trained on his.

“You grill a mean steak,” Link said with a tiny smirk. Rhett almost laughed out loud. Link was being shady. The statement sounded like an actual compliment but Rhett knew what Link was referencing. Just last weekend, Rhett had managed to burn their steaks when he got too wrapped up in a conversation.

“Oh, that is so sweet,” he replied, voice honeyed and sweet. “I like how tidy and neat you are. Makes my life sooo much easier.”

Link pursed his lips together before making a tsk-sound with his tongue. “I’m glad you like it. At least one of us understands the importance of cleanliness.” His answer was as falsely sweet as Rhett’s had been. They let their hands fall and waited for the judgment. Link’s burn wasn’t as obvious to outsiders as Rhett’s so Link got the first point.

Second round’s touchpoint was elbows. They laughed at the silliness of it before bending their arms and poking their elbows together. Someone made a joke about just the tips touching and there was raucous laughter. It was Rhett’s turn to start.

“You are so good with the children. It’s amazing how easy it is for you to lower yourself to their level,” Rhett said with mock sincerity. Link laughed a hollow laugh and said, “You take direction well. I never have to say anything to you twice.”

Rhett grimaced at him and titterings of laughter broke out amongst the crew. Everyone knew Rhett was often in his head and needed constant repetition and reminding. It was obvious that this round would go to Rhett. He started to wonder if all of Link’s so-called compliments were going to be veiled insults. Rhett’s weren’t and things could get awkward fast if he’d misread the way people wanted the episode to go.

Next round’s touchpoint was toes. They tried to evade the rule by pushing just one of their feet together but the crew called them out on it and soon they were standing inches apart, all of their toes touching. Link’s breath felt warm on Rhett’s neck and he started to get nervous again. They were so close already. How could he deal with the following rounds? It was bound to get worse. Link wiggled his toes and made Rhett laugh. He looked at his best friend and saw a question in his eyes.

“I’m fine,” he muttered an answer, both thankful and embarrassed for Link’s concern. “It’s your turn. Better make it good this time,” he continued louder.

“I like that you are always prepared for the worst. It means I don’t have to be.”

Rhett nodded. It was almost a compliment. It might have alluded to his propensity to stock up for the upcoming apocalypse but there was something heartfelt about the way Link said it.

“You’re very detail-oriented. I like it because it lets me concentrate on the big picture. It’s nice to have someone who balances you out.”

Link smiled warmly at him. They’d talked about this a lot. It was one of the things that made them work together so well. Link’s eyes shined bright behind his glasses and suddenly, it was hard to breathe. Rhett’s mind took a running start and started to fantasize. If Rhett dipped his head down just a bit, he could kiss Link. He could wrap his arms around him. He could let his hands drop down and grab the back of Link’s thighs and pull him up, make him wrap his legs around his body and take him to the desk as he nibbled his neck and… Rhett jerked back to reality as Link’s elbow sunk into his side. Link’s eyes were on his, looking at him quizzically. Rhett smiled at him shaking his head slightly, trying to convey that he’d just been preoccupied as usual. Rhett was awarded the point for this round too.

Round four had them press their knees together. The position was awkward and Rhett could instantly feel a pinch in his back. He must have made a face because Link’s brow furrowed with concern.

“You okay there, man?” he asked, voice low.

“Yeah, just…let’s do this one quickly,” Rhett answered and looked at the cameras. “Ready for round four? Okay. Link, I like how comfortable you are with yourself. You don’t care what other people think. You’re just you. Pure and simple.” The uncomfortable position made it impossible to put on an act or a voice. The compliment was sincere and sounded like that too. There were a few awww’s from the crew. Link smiled at him fondly. There was no need to hold hands in this round but Link took Rhett’s hands in his own anyway before saying, “I’m really impressed with your personal growth in these past few years. With the therapy and all. I feel so much closer to you because of it.”

Rhett swallowed and felt a welling in his tear ducts. _Not on camera, please,_ he pleaded silently with himself. His eyes glazed a bit, but thankfully no actual tears were shed. With a pained grunt, he got up from their hunched positions. They turned to listen to the debate over who got the point. As they stood there, Rhett felt Link’s fingers press against his back and slowly massage the exact spot that pained him. He almost moaned out loud. The relief Link’s skilled fingers brought to him made him melt. His concentration shifted. Everything around him dimmed away and all he felt was those fingers. Equally strong and gentle, Link knew exactly how to touch him. Rhett couldn’t help thinking if his touch would be as perfect on other parts of his body. Mainly the one that was rousing in his boxers right now. He missed the winner of the round.

“It appears we have a tie,” Link smirked at the cameras. The delicious pressure on Rhett’s back vanished with one final caress. He almost whined at the loss. His eyes shot to Link, but Link was looking elsewhere. Fifth round’s touchpoint was announced with a fanfare: bellybuttons. Rhett swallowed and looked for support in Link’s eyes, but he seemed to be skirting his gaze. They got some laughs as Rhett tried to fold his body down to get their bellies to touch. He ached still but it was mainly from the need to be touched again. When they were positioned correctly, Link finally brought his eyes back to Rhett. Rhett almost stepped back in surprise. Something had changed in Link’s gaze. There was intenseness in it that made Rhett’s stomach flip.

“I love your laugh,” Link simply said. A fire roared in Rhett’s belly. He took a deep breath and tried to remember his line. He couldn’t. His mind was a complete blank. His eyes roamed Link’s features and settled on his hair.

“I….um….I love the gray in your hair. It suits you. Makes you look all distinguished and hot. It also reminds me of all the years we’ve spent together.” The words poured out of him before he could think them through. Hot?! Wait, did he just call Link hot, in front of the crew, on film? Link’s eyes flashed and he stepped back. This time, he kept his distance. Rhett was panicking. He tried to keep it internal, making his face appear playful and fun with a wicked smirk and a wink to the camera. The judge panel was hooting and hollering. Rhett had won the point.

The score was 3 – 2 for Rhett. They went right ahead onto round six. The touchpoint was chests. Link was stubbornly looking at Rhett’s chin as they pressed their chests together. Rhett was certain Link could feel how hard his heart beat against his ribcage. He was sweating now. His gaze dropped to the point where their bodies touched. He could feel Link’s warmth radiating against him. It was his turn to start but Link was already speaking. Rhett’s eyes snapped up to his.

“Your eyes are gorgeous. It feels like every time I look at them, they’ve changed color. It’s like I get to discover you again every time I look at you,” Link’s voice turned into a whisper at the end of the sentence. Rhett couldn’t help the tiny gasp that broke out of him. It was the most romantic thing Link had ever said to him. He shook his head. No, Link was just playing the game. He wanted to win. Rhett turned to look at the camera.

“Jumping the gun there, Neal. It was my turn to start.”

Link just shrugged and stared at Rhett. His eyes looked strange. Almost glossy.

“You really work hard keeping yourself fit. For a forty-year-old guy, you look damn good,” Rhett said. He could see Link’s Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. Their eyes were glued together. The judge panel was deliberating already, but they hadn’t moved from their touchpoint position. Link’s right hand rose slowly and his fingers ran along Rhett’s arm, from his bicep down onto his fingertips.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” Link whispered. There was no smirk on his face. No indication that he was joking. Heat coiled into Rhett’s belly. He was glad it was their chests that were touching. It meant their crotch areas were farther apart and there was no way for Link to feel the problem that was still rising in his pants.

“The next touchpoint is…hips,” Stevie’s voice sounded from the distance. Rhett jerked back from Link.

“Wait, what?” he asked, mouth suddenly dry.

“Hips,” Stevie repeated. “Both hip bones touching, don’t even think about just standing side to side.”

“Who won the last round?” Link asked looking dazed.

“You did. It’s a tie again. On to round seven.”

Rhett was trembling. He evoked every disgusting thought he could to quell his erection. He looked at Link, hoping to get some support. Maybe they could take a break. Link looked as miserable as he did. What if he knew already? A chill ran through Rhett. What if he knew and was disgusted?

“Ahh…Stevie, could we take a little break?” Rhett asked.

“We’re almost done, Rhett. It’s late. We should just push through,” Stevie said voice a bit strained, not even lifting her eyes from her pad. Rhett sighed and looked back at Link who shrugged at him looking agonized. They inched closer. As their bodies touched lightly, Link drew a sharp breath and looked away from the camera. Rhett’s gaze followed him and he read the silent words from Link’s lips: “I’m sorry.” He was confused. Why was Link apologizing?

Link’s hip bones were sharp against Rhett’s. At first, that was all he felt. He tried to breathe evenly, tried to dampen the need to press his throbbing erection hard against Link’s lithe body. Then suddenly, the apology started to make sense. He felt something twitch against him. Link was hard too. Rhett’s eyes whipped to Link’s. Link looked up at him, smiling weakly. Rhett’s mouth was hanging open, his breath coming out in ragged puffs. Link’s cheeks were blotchy red and his hands trembled slightly.

“Any day now, boys,” Stevie prompted. Rhett cleared his throat but Link was faster again.

“I love your legs. How long they are. You look so gangly and sweet. And strong. Like, your thigh muscles make me weak at the knees. I dream about touching you like this,” Link spoke quickly, voice so low Rhett wasn’t certain the mikes could pick it up. As Link spoke, his fingers landed on Rhett’s thighs and made little twirls on the sides of his legs. Rhett bucked into him, pressing their straining cocks against each other. Both of them gasped. Rhett steadied himself by taking hold of Link’s waist.

“I love how small your waist is. Wrapping myself around you like this makes me feel big. Touching you like this makes me feel all kinds of other things too,” Rhett leaned over to murmur the words into Link’s ear as he was pressing them harder together. Link whined quietly. His hands rose up to Rhett’s shoulders. He grabbed on like he was hanging on for his dear life. Maybe he was. Rhett felt it too. There was a shift between them. The earth was parting between them and they were stepping into the opening crevice together. Rhett’s stomach dropped and he said loudly:

“Touch point.”

“We haven’t awarded the point ye…” Stevie objected.

“Touch point!”

“Forehead,” Stevie relented.

Rhett pressed his forehead against Link’s. His hands didn’t let go of his waist, though. Link was squirming slightly, making their cocks rub against each other. Rhett felt a dampened spot on his boxers, he was leaking already. He bit his lip and closed his eyes for a second before looking at Link and whispering:

“You have the most beautiful lips I’ve ever seen. If I could get a just one kiss and suck on that bottom lip of yours, I could die a happy man.”

Link moaned aloud and crashed into him. His lips were as perfect as Rhett had imagined. Soft and supple. Rhett licked them feverishly and sucked on Link’s bottom lip with a growl. Link’s hands moved to Rhett’s neck and burrowed into his hair tugging at it desperately. He was moaning into Rhett’s mouth, rutting his crotch against Rhett making him feel out of breath and dizzy with need.

“Cut! Everybody out!” Stevie’s voice pierced Rhett’s hazy brain for a second. He was grateful. There was a scramble of people around them. Rhett didn’t stop to wait for everyone to leave. Link’s lips parted and their tongues twisted into each other. Rhett groaned and lifted Link onto the desk. Link’s legs wrapped around Rhett.

“Oh my god,” someone gasped and then, finally, the set quieted around them. The door closed with a thud.

“Rhett,” Link moaned. “Fuck me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted on Tumblr by bourbonpowered who is a internet friend in need and a lovely person to talk to.


End file.
